Matrix-based network heat transfer modeling approach and its application in thermal system analysis

Abstract

Different from the mature network modeling and analysis method of power systems, the traditional modeling approach of thermal systems is still confined to stacking nonlinear constraints of components and linear temperature relations among components, which brings great inconvenience to the holistic analysis for the attractive integrated power and thermal systems. This paper proposes a matrix-based network heat transfer modeling approach for thermal system, which establishes general matrix description of topologic relations and heat transfer constraints of components to the holistic. These matrices derive the system governing equations based on the node-listing method in electrical network theory, and the conditions of determining solution are further discussed by applying the graph theory. Meanwhile, the governing equations of the proposed modeling approach coincide with those obtained by the heat current modeling approach, which originates from the same essence in forming the analysis of topology of heat flows by combining the analysis of topology of fluid flows and heat transfer between fluids based on a redefined thermal resistance. Due to both the strictly logical generating step and the linear matrix forms of governing equations, the proposed modeling approach benefits the standardized modeling of complex thermal system automatically to avoid human errors.